


Whose Brother To Keep

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics), Robin War (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 21:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5801545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was a child, and he was hurting. He just wanted to make sure that the ones who so proudly called themselves his family knew that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whose Brother To Keep

Duke was waiting on the roof. Knew someone would show. It was only a matter of time.

It was the same with Robin, after all. With _Damian_ , a few weeks ago.

And if the recent mess taught him anything – once a Robin, always a Robin.

He heard the landing, but tried to play it cool. Kept staring across the city until he sensed the other come even with him, and do the same.

Grayson didn’t say anything, but that was okay. Duke wanted to be the one who talked anyway.

He glanced over, took in Grayson’s face. He looked tired. Exhausted, really. Sad, almost.

“…You were his Batman, right?”

Grayson looked over, blinked slowly. “Hm?”

“Robin. This Robin, now. Damian.” Duke explained. “He hit the scene a few years ago, with a different Batman than his dad. A more _flippy_ Batman. That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Oh.” Grayson frowned, as if annoyed Duke knew all of this information. But hey, what could Duke say? He was observant. “…Yeah. That was me.”

“You were his first Batman.” Duke concluded. “Was he your first Robin?”

That seemed to bring a memory to mind, because suddenly Grayson smiled. Looked back across the city. “…Yeah. He was. First and only.”

Duke nodded slowly. Thoughtfully. “And…you love him right?”

Grayson’s voice was soft, almost weak. “Yeah.”

“Like he was,” Duke pursed his lips. “I dunno, like he was your own kid?”

Grayson hesitated but then chuckled lightly. “Close to, I guess. Sure.”

“…Then why did you never help him?”

The wistful smile dropped from Grayson’s face before the last syllable was out of Duke’s mouth. He jerked his head to the side so quickly, Duke feared whiplash. “I beg your pardon?”

“Come on, man. Don’t give me that.” Duke droned, tilting his head toward Grayson in exasperation. “Don’t act like you didn’t see.”

“See what?” Grayson snapped harshly.

“I saw that report that said you were dead, back when Nightwing was killed. I’m sure there was a point where he thought you were dead too. Not to mention this whole thing with his dad? Where Bruce Wayne _willingly_ and _purposefully_ let go of every memory he ever had, including the ones of his own kid. Then bring all us makeshift Robins in, he sure wasn’t happy about that. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure he didn’t know about Robot-Batman until a few weeks ago.” Duke listed off. “And he’s what, ten? Eleven? _Nine?_ I don’t know much about children, but I don’t know man. That seems to be a lot to handle by yourself, all at once. And it looks to me like that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. Trying, but not really succeeding. Failing _spectacularly_ , actually.” A pause, to stare at Grayson’s profile. “…Are you honestly telling me that you didn’t _notice?_ ”

Grayson’s annoyance seemed to wane the more Duke spoke, and eventually, he looked away again. “…I’ve been busy.”

Duke raised an eyebrow. “It was pretty obvious, man. I think a _blind monkey_ could have seen it.”

A pause, then a sigh. “You have to understand, Duke. Damian…he wasn’t raised like you and me. And emotions aren’t a thing you can just… _bring up_ with him.”

“Really? Because I did. I told him straight to his _face_.” Duke returned. “And you want to know how that turned out? We went to the movies. Saw _Star Wars_. He seemed to highly enjoy himself.”

Grayson shook his head. “It’s not that si-”

“And _I_ was always taught that when you care about someone, when you _love_ them, you fight for them. You protect them. You take care of them.” Duke cut off. “And from where I’m standing, out of all you Robins, it looks like the only one doing that here is Damian.”

Grayson didn’t even try to speak this time.

“Because you saw the same thing I did, right? You saw Damian figure out that the Court wanted you? You saw Damian put himself in the line of fire, _sacrifice_ his little nine-year-old _butt_ , just to keep you and those other two safe, _right?”_ Duke listed off. “And you’re really going to stand here and tell me that you aren’t even going to _bother_ _trying_ to fix that poor kid’s brain because he _might_ be a _little hard to talk to?_ ”

Grayson closed his eyes.

“No wonder the kid doesn’t want to stay in Gotham.” Duke finished, crossing his arms. He glanced down to the street, watched a cop car speed down the road, its lights flashing. He could feel the purse of his lips, the annoyance pulsing through his veins. His mom would be laughing at him right now.

“…Duke?” Grayson suddenly whispered. Duke looked over at him. “…Can you promise me something?”

Duke felt his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Because, you’re right. And I…I said the same things about Damian once, too.” He began. “Back when I was acting Batman and he was my Robin. I said it to Red Robin, after the two of them had gotten in…well, heh. A pretty awful throw-down. I was trying to explain to Red how he needed to see it from Damian’s perspective. How Damian…god what dumb phrase did I use? ‘Bleeds a need to be accepted’ or something stupid like that.”

Duke just blinked. Waited patiently.

“And you’re right.” Grayson repeated. “I _did_ notice. The first day I met him, and working with him as my partner all that time. The abandonment issues. The way he tries _so hard_ just to be told ‘good job’ by someone he cares about or respects. The way he loves people so… _violently_. Is able and _willing_ to do _anything_ for those he holds dear. Anything but…actually say ‘I love you.’”

Grayson chuckled, and it was sour.

“He’s never said he loves me, you know?” He glanced at Duke. “One time he said, ‘We were the best, no matter what anyone thinks.’ And then, yeah, a few months ago, when he found out I wasn’t, in fact, _dead_ , he literally flipped into my arms and just said, ‘I missed you.’ And that’s big, for him. Probably as close as he’ll ever get to saying it.”

“So what, just because he’s never said it to you, you’re never going to show it to him?” Duke countered, unimpressed.

“No. _No_.” Grayson returned. “I’m just saying. He’s never said it, but I know he does. I know he loves me and the Reds and his dad more than anything. Just like I know he believes that love is one way, and we don’t feel the same.”

Duke felt his lips unpinch.

“We do, of course. We’d tear the world apart for him. _Have_ , actually, recently. Went and fought an alien dictator for him. And shit, Duke, you should have seen Bruce when…” Grayson cut off, frowned. Stared down at the city. “But it’s probably our fault he acts that way. I mean, I guess we’re just as bad as saying ‘I love you’ to Damian as he is to us. Probably even worse, if he thought we…if he _honestly_ thought we wouldn’t care that he sacrificed himself for the rest of us. That we wouldn’t try to stop him, or bring him home.”

Duke glanced down. “Have you ever actually said it to him either? You know, not _shown_ it, through actions, and I get that you guys are pretty big on that, but. Have you ever told _him_ you love him either?”

Grayson didn’t look at him. “…No.”

“…Huh.” Duke followed suit, stared back down at the street. “You know, you Bat-folk are a weird bunch.”

He heard another chuckle. “So we’ve been told.”

“…I also didn’t hear the promise you want me to agree to in there, either.” Duke reminded.

He glanced over just in time to see Grayson grin.

“…Promise me you’ll take care of Damian for me?” Grayson whispered. “And not in a ‘in case anything happens to us’ kind of way, or an ‘I’m leaving on a secret mission and won’t be able to check in on him’ way, though…that might actually be a thing soon. I don’t quite know yet.” Grayson shook his head, seemed to be trying to shake the thought away. “But just…because we obviously suck at it. And Damian deserves so much _better_.”

“…Well, I can give you one thing, Grayson.” Duke sighed, after a moment. “At least you’re honest about yourself.”

“I call it like I see it.” Grayson laughed. “But about someone this important? I really can’t be anything _but_.”

Duke caught the word. Some _one_ , not some _thing_.

Maybe the old Robin cared after all.

“…Damian told me he would be travelling soon. Globetrotting and all that. And I gotta tell you, man, my bank account’s got more cobwebs than it does dollars.” Duke whistled, and shook his head. But he looked up, and found Grayson looking back. “But I’ll try, man. I’ll definitely try.”

Grayson grinned, and suddenly starting fiddling with the gadgets on his belt. “If you come on too strong, he’ll get suspicious and close himself off. Probably won’t be a problem for you since, like you just said, you’re not scared of a little emotional confrontation when it comes to someone’s mental state. But, you know, better to be prepared than not.”

“Forewarned is forearmed.” Duke recited almost cheerfully.

“That’s kiddo’s favorite thing to say too!” Grayson barked in laughter, pulling a grapple gun from its holster. “Ask him about his pets. He _loves_ talking about his pets. When he takes you to meet them, you know you’ve made it.”

“I do love dogs.” Duke shrugged.

“Well, I hope you love cows and giant bat creatures too.” Grayson chuckled, checking the settings on his gun. “But anyway, I have to head out. You take care of yourself, Duke. Okay?”

“Sure, but…Grayson?” Duke stepped forward, even as Grayson shot the line off. Grayson waited as it hooked, though, and turned towards him. “The Court…”

“What about them?”

“When that whole thing went down, when I convinced Damian to stay with us, you weren’t there. And after it was all said and done, you reappeared.” Duke twisted his lips. “So, you…you stopped them, right? Got Damian out of the deal?” A pause, to inhale. “It was _you_ , technically, who saved the day?”

Grayson’s voice seemed to suddenly drop. “…You could say that, I guess.”

Duke shrugged. “So. What’d you do?”

Grayson frowned, looked down at his shoes for a second. Then his eyes darted back up, and the blue seemed to sparkle in the lights of Gotham.

“…Seriously, Duke. Take care of yourself, okay?” Grayson repeated, more desperately this time. “And take care of Damian for me.”

The words suddenly buzzed in Duke’s mind. _‘For me.’_

Like, suddenly, Dick wasn’t going to be there to do it himself.

“…Sure…”

And just a few minutes ago, he alluded to potentially leaving soon, too. Where was he going to be, then? And why did he avoid the question? Does his leaving have to do with the Court of Owls?

…What _did_ Dick Grayson do to get the Court to stand down? To free Damian from his contract as a Talon?

“Thank you.” Grayson whispered, words dripping with emotion and sincerity. But instantly, that tenderness disappeared from the acrobat’s face, replaced with a bright grin. “See you around, kid.”

“…Yeah.” Duke mumbled, as Grayson jumped. “See you.”

Suddenly, Duke had a feeling that he wouldn’t. He really, really wouldn’t.

And that Damian wouldn’t either.


End file.
